Hey Reader,

I know you already know this, but in case you forgot: women are 51% of the population.

Are you tired of me beating that drum yet???

I know, I’m like a broken record. But it’s true! Women are 51% of the population, and yet somehow, power still seems to collect around the same few guys named Chad, wearing Patagonia vests and wielding confidence they did not earn.

But it’s not just women who are woefully under-represented. Somewhere between 6–12% of U.S. adults identify as LGBTQ+. So… where are they in the rooms where decisions get made?
​

Not on your ballot. Not in your boardroom. Not at the podium.

Despite all the performative allyship and rainbow logos that show up every June, actual representation is still thin. Especially in leadership roles. Especially when it matters.

Meanwhile, who’s doing the work?
​We are.
Women. Queer folks. Caregivers. Advocates.​
We’re planning teacher appreciation luncheons.
Becoming room moms.
Managing group texts that may as well be international diplomacy.
Volunteering for things we didn’t exactly sign up for.
And yes—some of us are even running for office while raising toddlers and pretending we know what Robert’s Rules of Order are.

Meanwhile, our leadership is deploying troops—not to fix bridges or schools or make the country better in some amazing way—but to shut down protests against ICE detaining school aged kids.

Yes, some protests have gotten heated. But most people are just angry—and rightfully so. Because if your response to“please don’t deport children from classrooms” is military backup?

Well, nothing says “leadership” like “stop yelling at me while I do something terrible.”

So yeah, I’m mad. And sad. And tired in that deep, cellular way.
But I’m not giving up.
Not because change is guaranteed—but because I know it’s possible.
I’ve seen progress happen, even if it’s slow. Even if it backslides.
And I believe the only shot we’ve got is to keep raising hell and holding space—for each other, for joy, for something better.
​
​I also know the people driving change—the kind that benefits women, at least—aren’t wearing red ties and making parade plans.

Instead, they’re the ones you’ve probably never heard of.
The ones with coffee-fueled conviction and a to-do list that includes 'save the world' somewhere near the bottom—but only because they had to pick up groceries first.
The ones who are building joy into resistance and queerness into leadership and not asking permission for any of it.

This week on Roar, I talk to one of those people. Her name is Lauren Albrecht, and she’s the Director of Advocacy and Organizing at Garden State Equality.

We get into all of it: identity, advocacy, burnout, and the sacred art of showing up anyway.

If you’ve ever felt like the odd one out—or like the only adult in the room even when you’re not sure what you’re doing—you’re not alone.
🎧 [You can listen to our convo here.]

Talk soon,

Danielle

P.S. If this made you laugh, nod, or mutter “yep” under your breath—and you’ve got $5 burning a hole in your Venmo—you can [buy me a coffee here]. Think of it as tipping your local truth-teller.

P.P.S. Know a woman who’s quietly holding up her corner of the world while everyone else pretends not to notice? Forward this to her. She’d probably like knowing she's not alone.